Vehicle-tire.



W..J. CUNNINGHAM.

VEHICLE TIRE.

APPLIOATION FILED 00124. 1910.

Patented Deo. 19, 1911.

l. www@ every instance to the exact form as herein shown and described.

4 plate 5. .with the plate WILLIAM J. CUNNINGHAM, 0F PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.

VEHICLE-TIRE.

1 ,012,331. Specification of Letters Patent.

Application tiled October 24, 1910. Serial No.

PatentedDec. 19, 1911. 588,627.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. CU'N- NINGHAM, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city and county of Philadel phia, State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Vehicle-Tire, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful vehicle tire and consists inproviding a suitable tread movably supported and springs interposedbetween the tread support and the rim for providing resiliency.

It further consists of a novel construction and arrangement of springs,whereby suitable resiliency and strength are provided.

It further consists of other novel features, all as will be hereinafterfully set forth.

Figure 1 represents a partial side elevation and partial sectional Viewshowing a portion of the wheel with my novel tire applied thereto. Fig.2.1epresents a sectional view on line .c w, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents aplan view showing in flattened position, thesprings employed and therelation of one series of springs with respect to the other. Fig. 4represents a perspective view olf pivoted arms employed. Fig. 5represents ai perspective View of a slightly different forni of pivotedarms that may be employed.

Similar numerais of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

eferring to the drawings z-In a vehicle tire it is necessary to providea suitable amount of resiliency without detractin from the strength andit is further of advantage to provide a solid tread or one which cannotbe punctured or easily in? jured. My invention is designed to accomplishthese results and in the drawing I have shown one embodiment of myinvenis at present preferred by me, but it will be evident that thearrangement of the parts may be varied, other instru` mentalities may beemployed and changes may be made in the construction which will comewithin the scope of my invention and I do n ot, therefore, desire to belimited in instance as formed of continuous bands 8 and 9 from whichproject at suitable intervals, the said springs 6 and 7, and as hereshown, the said bands 8 and 9 are provided with suitable openings 10through which pass bolts 11 which also pass through suitable openings inthe plate 5 in order to secure the said springs to said plate. In thepresent instance, edges downwardly and forwardly turned, forming flanges12, providing a space between the saine and the plate 5 for thereception of the bands 8 and 9 and in this instance, the bolts 11 alsopass through suitable openings in said flanges 12 so that the saidsprings 6 and 7 are firmly and properly attached to the plate 5. 4

As will be noted, the springs 6 and 7 curve outwardly away from theplate 5 and the adjacent springs cross each other at a suitable point,as at 13, and the ends of said springs are curved backwardly with theirends 14 pointing toward the plate 5, in such a manner that a suitablespace is provided between the ends of the adjacent springs, ."nce itwill be understood that the band 8 is secured adjacent one edge of theplate 5 at the band 9 adjacent the other edge of the plate 5 so that theprojecting springs 6 and 7 alternate with each other as will best beunderstood from Fig. 3. Movably supported with respect to the rim 4 andlplate 5 is the support for the tread of the tire. Iii the presentinstance, this support or frame is formed of plates 1.5 and 16 the outeredges of which are inturned forming the shoulders 17. Suitably securedto the plates is a bearing member 18 the walls of which are inclinedtoward each other, thus forming an y inwardly extending cone or wedgeshape member and said plates having also connected therewith a plate 19between which and the flanges 17 is secured a suitable portion of thetread 2O of the tire, this tread in the present instance being solid ofrubber, although it may be able material. and plate 19 are secured tothe plates 15 and 16 by the bolts 21. It will be noted that the saidbearing member 18 abuts the curved end portion of the springs 6 and 7with the apex of said bearing. member situated at of any suit- 1deslgnates a port-ion of a vehicle wheel havinghaJ suitable hub 2 andspokes 3 suitably connected with the rim 4. Connected in any suitablemanner with the rim is a Connected in any suitable manner 5 are a seriesof springs 6 and 7 'which I have shown in the present the plate 5 hasits The said bearing member 18A and formed the same upon the springs 6and 7 in order that as the wheel rotates the weight bearing down uponthe bearing member 18 at the lower portion of the wheel will tend toseparate r spread the springs 6 and 7 apart and at the same time forcingthe same in a direction toward the plate thus providing an extremelyresilient spring construction. It will, of course, be understood thatthe movement of the springs will be limited both bv reason of thecontact of a suitable portion thereof with the plate 5 or with a suit-`able portion of the curved ends abutting the inner wall of the plates 15and 16.

In order tov prevent creeping` of the support with respect' to the rim,I have here shown two arms '22 and 23 which are'pivoted together at 24:,one -of'said arms as 22, being pivotally connected with the rim 4, whilethe other arm 28 is pivotally connect- Y ed with one of the plates ofthe supporting 22 and `23 being caused to resume their nor-` after theweight is removed mal position the position lofthe said pins by reasonof 25 and 26.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3, I

have shown the two' arms 22 and 23 but in lieu of employing the pins 25and 26 I have connected with one of the arms, as 23,

' a stopv member which prevents the separa- 7tion of the arms at adesired point and so limiting the movement with respect to each other.Having Letters Patent, is

y1. In a device of the character stated; a felly, a plurality of seriesof resilient non` elastic spring members, one series connected y at .oneside of the felly and extending beyond the central plane thereof and theother series connected at the opposite side of the l upon thus describedmy invention, what I claim as new andvdesire to secure by felly andextending beyond the central plane thereof, whereby the body portion ofthe members thereof cross each other and the free end of each memberbeing curled inwardly and toward the body portion thereof, va wedgemember resting upon the said free' ends of the spring members andvadapted to force said members apart, and a tread member connected withsaid wedge member, said spring members being unconined excepting attheir point of connection.

2. In a device of the character stated, a

felly, a plate secured thereto and extending on each side of the felly,a plurality of series of resilient non-elastic springs, one se-` riesconnected at one side of the plate and extending beyond the centralplane 'thereof, and the other series connected at the oppo- -s'ite sideof the plate and extending beyond the central plane thereof, whereby thebody port-ion of the members thereof cross each other and the free endof each member being curled inwardly and toward the body portionthereof, a wedge member resting the said free endsof the spring membersand adapted to force said members apart and a tread member connectedwith said wedge member, said spring members being unconfined excepting'at theirMpoint of connection.

3. In a device of the character stated, `a

-felly, a plurality of series of resilient, nonelastic springs, oneseries connected at one side of the felly and extending beyond thecentral plane thereof, and connected at the opposite and extendingbeyond the central4 plane thereof, whereby the body portions of the theother series side of the felly y spring members cross each other and theend of each member being curled inwardly 4and toward the body portionthereof, a

frame 'having sides and a wedge member,

having inclined sides contacting respectively with the` ends of saidspring members and a tread member carried by said frame,

saidsprings being adapted for unconined movement and said frame servingas stops for said spring members.'

WILLIAM J. CUNNINGHAM.

Vitnesses:

C.'D. MCVAY F. A. NEWTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, ZD. C.

